The Border Legion

At her elbow she heard a quick step and a sharp-drawn breath or

hiss.

"AW, JACK!" cried Bill.

Then Kells, in lithe and savage swiftness, came between them. He

swung his gun, hitting Bill full in the face. The man fell, limp and

heavy, and he lay there, with a bloody gash across his brow. Kells

stood over him a moment, slowly lowering the gun. Joan feared he

meant to shoot.

"Oh, don't--don't!" she cried. "He--he didn't hurt me."

Kells pushed her back. When he touched her she seemed to feel the

shock of an electric current. His face had not changed, but his eyes

were terrible. On the background of gray were strange, leaping red

flecks.

"Take your horse," he ordered. "No. Walk across the brook. There's a

trail. Go up the canon. I'll come presently. Don't run and don't

hide. It'll be the worse for you if you do. Hurry!"

Joan obeyed. She flashed past the open-jawed Halloway, and, running

down to the brook, stepped across from stone to stone. She found the

trail and hurriedly followed it. She did not look back. It never

occurred to her to hide, to try to get away. She only obeyed,

conscious of some force that dominated her. Once she heard loud

voices, then the shrill neigh of a horse. The trail swung under the

left wall of the canon and ran along the noisy brook. She thought

she heard shots and was startled, but she could not be sure. She

stopped to listen. Only the babble of swift water and the sough of

wind in the spruces greeted her ears. She went on, beginning to

collect her thoughts, to conjecture on the significance of Kells's

behavior.

But had that been the spring of his motive? She doubted it--she

doubted all about him, save that subtle essence of violence, of

ruthless force and intensity, of terrible capacity, which hung round

him.

A halloo caused her to stop and turn. Two pack-horses were jogging

up the trail. Kells was driving them and leading her pony. Nothing

could be seen of the other men. Kells rapidly overhauled her, and

she had to get out of the trail to let the pack-animals pass. He

threw her bridle to her.

"Get up," he said.

She complied. And then she bravely faced him. "Where are--the other

men?"

"We parted company," he replied, curtly.

"Why?" she persisted.

"Well, if you're anxious to know, it was because you were winning

their--regard--too much to suit me."

"Winning their regard!" Joan exclaimed, blankly.